Riverdale High School Robotics Team: First Robotics

Competing in FIRST Robotics

The Riverdale Highschool Robotics Team participates in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), a high school age competition. The "varsity sport for the mind," FRC combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. Each year in January, FIRST teams around the world receive the rules to a challenging game that their robot will have to play. This is not "BattleBots" for high school students; rather, the games mimic sports like soccer or dodgeball, and involve cooperation. Teams that do well at the game must have a spirit of gracious professionalism and be able to work together with other teams to achieve success

After learning the new game, teams spend the next six weeks designing, building and programming their robots to meet the challenge. FRC robots are large and complex - they are usually at least 5 feet tall and can weigh 120 pounds. Volunteer professional mentors lend their time and talents to guide each team, but all the work is carried out by the high school students. When the robots are completed, teams can attend one or more regional competitions, where 40 to 70 teams compete in the game during three days of fun-filled robotic insanity. Through competition, teams get a chance to see their creation in motion and determine the effectiveness of their design.